Pneumatic stage pump



Apr. '3, 1923 J. E. MQDOWELL.

PNEUMATIC STAGE PUMP Filed June 17, 1921 2 sheets-sheet l J. E. M DOWELL PNEUMATIC STAGE PUMP Apr. 3, 1923 1,450,505

Filed June 1'7, 1921 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Apr. 3, 1923.

UNITEB STATES PATENT QFFLCE.

JOE MCDOWELL, OF FORT WORTH, TEXAS.

PNEUMATIC STAGE PUMP.

Application filed June 17, 1921. Serial No. 478,254.

To. all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Jon E. McDownLL, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Fort Worth, in the county of Tarrant and State of Texas, have invented vated by successive stages with mechanism for operating the pumping element ateach stageindependently of .any other section or stage, the object being to use a minimum of power. A further object is to provide continuous operation of the pumping elements by preventing the binding or sticking of the floats or valves. A further object is to provide means for automatically opening the air or gas valves when a section is filled with oil or water and for automatically shutting off the operating element whether gas or air when a section is empty. A further object is the use of air orgas as a piston operating on the surface of the liquid for forcing. the liquid into the next higher section and not allowing the air or gas to become mixed with the liquid and so preventing the air orgas from emulsifying the liquid or oil. One of the advantages of this invention is that a head of oil may be pre vented from rising in the well above a predetermined level. This feature makes the invention especially applicable and valuable for use in oil wells. Other objects and advantages will be fully explained in the following description and the invention will be more particularly pointed out in the claims.

Ref r nce 1 a to cc mpanying h form a part of this applicadrawi bien- Eig; 1 is a; vertical'seotion of a well casns an he; y ind e uppert ns me- Eig. 2 is an enlarged detail of the pumping elements. Fig. 3 is ahorizontal section, taken onthelinfe 3.3 of'Fig. 2. Fig. 4. is a top; plan View. of an intake andoutlet valve for a section or stage of the pump. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section, taken on the line 55 of Fig. 2'.

Similar characters of reference are used to indicate the same parts throughout the several views. 2

The drawings show a well casing 1 o f or-( dinary type. Any number of unit-s maybe provide for usexinthe well casing. At the lower end or bottom of the pump,- a perforated pipe 2 projects into the producing sands. An intake valve 3 opens and closes the end of the pipe 2 which projects into the cylindrical frame 4.-. The oil or other liquid will be retained in the chamber 4 and will rise up about the pumping elements; The liquidwill rise up through the valve 6 into chamber 7 and passes on. into the storage pipe 8 and also into a discharge pipe 9; fn the first instance, the liquid rises .up into these parts without any. pumping action. The pipes 8 and 9 are connected to the unit member 4' andalso to the unit member 10. The liquid will force the valve 11 to close the passage 12and at the 'same time open the valve 13, allowing the gas or air to enter. chamber '14, forcing the liquid downward and out through valve opening 6 and into pipe 9, and up against the valve :15 and-raises this valve. This actuatesthe lever, 17 whichis connected with and aotuates the three-way valve 16. This action will bring passage'lS into communication with the gas supply pipe 19. This will let gas or air pass through the valve 16 and out the passage 12 because the passage 12 is of sufficient area to cover the passage 20 even after the valve 16 has been turned by the lever 17 and passage 21 will be turned away from opening22:

The gas or air will force the oil or other liquid in chambers 14 and Sclownwardly and such liquid will. pass out through valve 6 and upthe. pipe 9 past valve lit-to. the neatsection-above which may be: twenty or forty feetmore or. less. In this operation. thevalve willbe ferced downwardly and thegas or air willbecut off. from-passing through valve 13. Intheposition shown in Fig. 2, the valve 16 would'let' airfrom the chamber 14. and 8 pass out throughpassage 2 an hen u pa sage 1. ndrtheni out air or gas pressure 7 I 'mosphere. In this operation the spring position as shownin Fig. will restore the 1e; er"4l to through opening 22 to the atmosphere. This lets the air out of the way of oil that would rise up from the bottom into chambers 8 and 14.

When the liquid is forced up pipe 9 and past valve 15, as above described, the liquid passes tothe neXt unit which is separated from the unit above described by the valve and partition 27. The air or gas is forced down the supply pipe 29 and out through pipe 19 or through valve 13 for the above described operations.

VVhen the oil passes valve 15 into chamber 28, it is in the second unit. ,The oil or other liquid willpass on through the chamber 28 and through the passage 30 and cylindrical chamber 24, past valve 25 into chamber 26. This operation is kept until the chamber 26 is full of liquid, and the pipe or chamber 32 also filled. The valve 15 and the partition 27 form the support. for the second unit. The liquid passes up pipe 33 at the same time. The next operation is to force the liquidout of chambers 32 and 26 up through the chamber orpipe 33. The upward pressure of liquid in chamber 32 closes the valve 34. This will open valve 35 and let air or gas in on the surface of the liquid in chamber scene at the same time closes valve 15 and brings valve 16 to the position shown in Fig. 2.. The pressure of airor gas on the surface of the liquid in chambers 32 and 26 will force the liquid up pipe 33 and through the valve seat 36. This will letgas or air pass through pipe 37 down through the valve in cas1ng38and open valve 34 and close valve 35. This will give full force of thegas or. air on the surface of the liquid in chambers 32 and, 26, and so drive the liquid up, pipe v33 into the next unit.

Auxiliary shut-oifs are provided in each unit to aidthe operations above described under certain contingencies. If there is not suflicient liquid in the lower chamber to fill the chamber above and start the valve 34 to Working, then, when the chamber is emptied, the float 39 will follow the surface of the liquid down and close valve 40 in the chamber 7. This will stop the flow ofliquid through valve 6, but -the pressure on the ,valve 40 will force the same down to the bottom of thevalve chamber 6, drawing the float 39 down. and forcing the lever41 down and opening'a valve in casin g 42 so that the will escape. to the at- 43 is overcome. When the pressure is thus relieved, the liquid standing in chamber 26,

chamber 32, and pipe or chamber v33 will I come through valve 15, and close thisvalve. 4 he partsjwill then'sta'nd as in Fig. 2. 'The float 39 is protected and guided by a shield 44. When the parts, come to normal 2. the spring 43 normal position I plurality closed by and close the passage through opening 45. The spring 46, lever 47, casing 48, valve 49, opening 50, valve 25, float 51, and shield 52 are all similar in construction and operationto the construction and operation of the spring 43 and cooperating parts above described.

- What I claim, is,'

1. A pneumatic stage pump comprising a plurality of units, a gas or air supplying pipe common toall the units, each unit having a chamber provided with an intake valve and an air outlet for escape of air from said chamber while liquid is coming in, a liquid discharge pipe, a gas or air starting valve adapted to .communicate with said supply pipe and to be automatically liquid coming in said chamber, a main gas or air valve operatively connected to said supply pipe and to be automatically opened by liquid forced out of said chamber up said disopened by the p tosaid chamber for closing said starting valve and for forcing liquid, out of said discharge pipe to the next unit, above.

. A pneumatic stage pump comprising a common to all the units, each unit having a chamber provided With an intake valve and an airoutlet for escape of air from said chamber while liquid is coming in, a discharge pipe, a float valve to be automatically closed by'incoming liquid, a gas or air starting .valve operatively. connected With said floatvalve to be automatically opened by incoming liquid actuating said float valve, said starting valve communicating with, said supply pipe, a main gas or air valve operatively connected to said supply pipe and to be automatically opened by liquidforced out of said chamber whereby gas of units, a gas or air supply pipe.

or air is supplied tov said chamber for closing,

said starting valve and. for forcing liquid out of saiddis'charge pipe to the next unit above. f H l 2 3. 'A pneumatic stage pump comprisinga plurality of units, a gas or air supply common to all the units, each unit having a chamber provided with an, intake valve and an air outlet for escapeof air from said chamber While liquid isncoming in, a discharge pipe, afloat valve to be automatically incoming liquid, a gas or air starting valve operativelyj connected'with said float valve to be automatically opened by incoming liquid actuating said float valve,

pipe

said starting valve communicating with said. N

to said chamber for closing said starting valve and for forcing liquid out of said dis charge pipe to the next unit above.

4. A pneumatic stage pump comprising a plurality of units, a gas or air supply pipe common to all the units, each unit having a chamber provided with an intake valve and an air outlet for escape of air from said chamber while liquid is coming in, a discharge pipe, 21- float valve to be automatically closed by incoming liquid, a gas or air starting valve operatively connected with said float valve to be. automatically opened by incoming liquid actuating said float valve, said starting valve communicating with said supply pipe, a three-way valve operatively connected with said supply pipe and adapted to close said air outlet and simultaneously let in a supply of gas or air, a float valves said discharge pipe to the next unit above,

and auxiliary valves in each chamber for starting operations when there is no liquid in the chamber of a unit.

In testimony whereof, I set my hand, this first day of June, 1921. I

, JOE E. MoDOVVELL. 

